LHA

LHA (lipohydroxy acid) is a gentle, oil-soluble exfoliant derived from salicylic acid that works gradually to help promote smoother, clearer-looking skin. Its lipophilic nature and slow action make it a gentle exfoliating option, well-suited for those who want a gradual approach.

• How often

  Ease in gradually, following the frequency on the pack. Daily use is within the usual guidance once your skin is used to it.

• Where it goes

  It comes in two forms and they belong in different steps — a cleanser at the washing stage, a leave-on serum as a targeted step.

• Where to apply

  Across the whole area rather than dabbed onto single spots.

• Sun

  A leave-on LHA serum calls for daily sunscreen while you are using it; the cleanser rinses off and does not.

• Alongside others

  Follow it with a moisturizer.

• Stick to one exfoliating product at a time — two on the same skin in the same session is what usually causes the stinging.

• Keep the leave-on to a different evening from retinol, or use the acid in the morning and the retinoid at night, which is how the studies ran it.

• What to expect

  Dryness and a brief sting on application are the things most likely to show up first.

• If it doesn't suit

  If it starts to feel tight or drying, use it less often rather than pushing through.

This product contains an exfoliating ingredient that may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. Discontinue use if irritation occurs and consult a healthcare provider.

Six situations change whether LHA suits your skin right now. Each one is either a reason to skip it, a reason to go slowly, or nothing to watch for.

Fragile or Sensitive

Skip it

Recent Facial or Laser

Skip it

Prone to Redness

Go slowly

Dry or Itchy Patches

Go slowly

Recent Shave or Wax

Go slowly

Maternity & Nursing

No caution

Prone to Redness — Try it on a small area first, and use it less often — or stop — if you notice stinging or extra redness.

Dry or Itchy Patches — Keep the rest of your routine well moisturized, and use it less often — or stop — if you notice tightness or itching.

Recent Shave or Wax — Avoid for 24 hours after waxing, threading, or dermaplaning.

Region	Most a cosmetic may contain
United States	No explicit cap
Canada	No explicit cap
European Union	No explicit cap
Great Britain	No explicit cap
India	No explicit cap
Brazil	No explicit cap
Japan	No explicit cap
South Korea	No cap (leave-on products must be pH 3.0–9.0)
Kenya	No explicit cap
Namibia	No explicit cap
Ukraine	No explicit cap
Georgia	No explicit cap
Australia	No explicit cap
United Arab Emirates	No explicit cap
Kuwait	No explicit cap
Hong Kong	No explicit cap
Singapore	No explicit cap
Brunei	No explicit cap
Jordan	No explicit cap
Trinidad & Tobago	No explicit cap

Where a figure appears, that is the maximum strength allowed or advised for lha in that market — some are set in cosmetics regulation, others are the ceiling a cosmetic safety panel recommends. Where no figure appears, the market either sets no cosmetic maximum or handles this ingredient outside its cosmetic rules. These are limits, not targets — the right strength for a formula is the formulator's decision.

Open a market to see the rulebook its figure comes from. Those notes describe each market's own rules as we read them, current to August 24, 2026; the linked documents are the authority, and nothing here is legal advice.

Sort:Price

Cleansers · 3

VeganifectClean And Glow Green Barley LHA Deep Cleansing Oil - 205ml$13.72ArenciaRice + LHA Pore Control Rice Cake Cleanser - 150g$16.00Also on YesStyleArenciaGreen Tea + LHA Deep Pore Rice Cake Cleanser - 150ml$19.08Also on Stylevana

Serums · 1

Milk TouchWhite Teatree LHA Trouble Relief Serum - 30ml$20.00

Already have one? Check how it fits your skin with Pick.

What is LHA?

An oil-loving relative of salicylic acid that sinks in slowly, so it clears away surface build-up a little at a time rather than all at once.

What else is LHA called?

On a label you may see Capryloyl salicylic acid.

When should you apply LHA?

Morning or evening.

Which form of LHA should you use?

LHA exfoliating cleanser — your wash, morning or evening, up to daily. LHA exfoliating serum — before moisturizer, morning or evening, up to daily.

How often can you use LHA?

Up to daily.

Where do you apply LHA?

All over the face. Keep it away from your eyes and lips.

Can you use LHA around the eyes?

Yes. LHA goes all over the face, the skin around the eyes included — keep it out of your eyes and off your lips.

Does LHA make skin more sensitive to the sun?

Only as the LHA exfoliating serum — use sunscreen the next morning. The other form is not flagged.

What should you not use with LHA?

Space it apart from Azelaic acid, Cysteamine, Eye-area retinol, Other exfoliants, Retinoids and Vitamin C.

Who should avoid LHA?

Skip it if any of these apply: Fragile or Sensitive and Recent Facial or Laser. Go slowly with Prone to Redness, Dry or Itchy Patches and Recent Shave or Wax.

Is there a cosmetic limit for LHA?

No. No cosmetic regulator in the United States, Canada, the European Union or Great Britain sets a maximum strength for it. That is a limit on the rules, not a signal to use more.

Everything on this page traces to the sources listed below — regulators' own publications and published studies. Where the evidence does not answer a question, it is left unanswered.

Our review is AI-assisted and is not a named expert's opinion. Last reviewed August 6, 2026.

Think something here is out of date or wrong? Email us at wiki@skinintelligence.ai with your reasoning and where you read it. We read what people send, and we update the page when the sources support it.